Corn, You're My Hero
by Fae 206
Summary: After a tragic accident, Kuon, 26, finds that he has turned back into the ten-year-old Corn. What's worse is he did so on televised media. With Kyoko Hizuri protecting him and Japan debating on whether he's a child or a man in a child's body things have gotten extremely tricky. Can Kyoko prove she loves him still? How will Kuon's world change when he becomes Corn again? -Future Set
1. Chapter 1 - You Always Protect Me, Corn

**Corn, You're My Hero**

**Chapter One – You Always Protect Me, Corn**

_Kyoko could hear the rain coming down outside of the ryokan. It had been two years since she had met Corn and he hadn't come back to her during that time. She still had his stone though. Whenever she needed to cry she would go off somewhere quiet and just hold onto the stone and talk to him. She kept it close to her heart. She really wanted to stop thinking of her mother and the way that she left her alone. She held tighter to the stone and smiled, "You always protect me, Corn."_

KyKuKyKu

"You always protect me, Corn," Kyoko said in her sleep as her husband gently tried to wake her up. Kyoko sat up and turned to Kuon to see that he had parked the car in the garage below LME to let her out. She was going to be talking to Sawara-san about a new show that wanted her and some other acting opportunities. She was said to be the actress who represented Japan whereas she was married to an international Academy Award winning actor who resided in Japan. Kuon couldn't have the mantle of Japan's actor because he didn't work within Japan all of the year (although he still took Japanese dramas and movies if they interested him) and he wasn't technically Japanese as he had mostly American blood.

He laughed as she woke up and winked to her, she blushed as she looked into those emerald eyes of his. He was so dreamy and he was hers. He was her precious husband. Kyoko smiled as she realized that once again. They had been dating since just before Kyoko was eighteen. He had proposed to her the New Years Eve following her nineteenth birthday. They got married in January when she was twenty. Now, two years later and the twenty-two-year-old Kyoko was gazing at her twenty-six-year-old husband. They had both been able to get their dreams including the dream of finding someone they loved who understood them.

Kuon winked at her as Kyoko's back straightened, "I will always protect you. Glad I'm doing it in your REM cycle too," he told her and Kyoko blushed again. She hadn't meant to be sleep talking but it wasn't a bad thing to say. She trusted her husband.

"You should go or you'll be late for the modelling shoot," she told him before brushing her hand through the golden strands which only she got to touch in that affectionate manner and kissed him on his lips before pulling back. "You'll meet me here after the shoot? If possible, I'd like to see how Maria is doing with her new school so don't worry if the shoot runs over."

Kuon nodded. He had thought that he was going to be working full-time in the US when he was this age and he had tried to do a long distance relationship before but he had missed Kyoko far too much. As Kyoko was about to close the door after getting out, Kuon heard a strange buzzing and a heavy clanking. He got out of the car as Kyoko watched him confused and then went to where there was a gas line. He put a hand to it and frowned. It felt hotter and heavier for some reason but he didn't know why, he wasn't an engineer or a mechanic but it gave him a feeling of deep shock as if he were faced with a premonition that something bad would happen.

"Kuon?" Kyoko laughed as she saw a work crew pull up. "What are you doing? I don't think that you're supposed to touch that," she told him. She saw a strange blue light come from the pipe and she quickly rushed over. Electricity? Was Kuon going to get electrocuted right in front of her? "Come on," she said quickly, "Don't touch that."

"What are you doing?" one of the workmen said and Kuon turned.

"Something didn't seem right with the tubing," Kuon gestured and the men all looked between one another.

The leader of the team spoke up again, "Don't worry, Mr. Hizuri. We've done this a countless number of times, we know what we are doing." Kyoko gestured for Kuon to come back to the car and he turned back to look at the men with a troubled expression before sighing and went to join Kyoko.

"I'll see you once you've finished with your shoot," she tried to reassure him before hearing his labored breathing, she put her hand to the back of his neck and felt it hot and sweaty. "Kuon?" she asked with a tilt of her head. "Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?"

"No. I'm fine. I'm fine," he told her quickly before hugging her again and for some reason, Kyoko felt like he was holding her for the last time. "I'll see you soon," he smiled before getting into the car. Kyoko had a bad feeling about this. She put her hands to her chest and held her necklace, a pink and white gold necklace in the shape of a heart that Kuon had bought for her as well as her locket that had a picture of him on one side and the two of them on the day of their wedding on the other. She knew that it was either childish or old fashioned to wear such a locket but it meant that even when he was filming overseas, she still had his strength with her.

xXxXxX

Kyoko could hear a strange cracking as she sat opposite Sawara-san in the office. She had never been transferred into the actors section of LME despite being called the top actress in Japan, apparently the president felt it ironic or something. She heard a buzzing but looked around trying to work out if it might be coming from the lights or the radiator. She felt nervous but tried to calm herself down.

"I would recommend this one though," Sawara told her as he held up a script. "It would be perfect for you especially since it's the hottest new thing right now within the acting world. Now, they have a couple of people they are considering for the female love interest but they are hoping to get your husband to be the male -"

I'll take it," Kyoko said eagerly. It had been eleven months since she had last acted across from Kuon in a drama and that was one where she was a lead detective despite being a woman and he had been the red herring of the murder episode. His character had been nerdy and insecure around women and it was adorable to have seen him wearing glasses so often. The only problem with _that_ role was that they requested he dye his hair brown so he fit more with the others.

Kyoko loved his blond diamond dusted hair. Ren Tsuruga may have been gorgeous and looked ultra cool and had her fall for him but natural Kuon looked so much better. Kyoko heard another rumble and she looked at Sawara, "Is something wrong?" she asked as she saw him look around nervously.

"Hold right there," he said before picking up the phone, "It's most likely an earthquake. We're prepared for that of course but maybe you should take cover," he told her. Kyoko nodded before Sawara looked at the phone again. "It's dead. The line's dead," he said before bowing to Kyoko. "I'm sorry. I'm going to head into the hallway where I get better service, please wait here," he told her and Kyoko nodded again.

All of a sudden the power went out and Kyoko could hear a thumping before the smoke alarms started to go off. What was happening? She stood but felt herself pushed forwards and she rolled onto her side before getting to her knees. If this was an earthquake then she needed to take the stairs because she didn't want to be trapped in a burning elevator. She reached for her bag and her phone before also taking the script in front of her. She walked into the hallway and saw crowds of people heading towards the main staircase.

Kyoko tried to merge with the people coming towards her but knew that the staircase may get blocked. There was a special exit path that Kuon had once shown her during a date and sometimes they still used it when it seemed the easier way to get home. Kyoko knew that people most likely weren't allowed to use it but Kuon had special permission….or the president just turned his head when Kuon took advantage of it.

As she neared the bottom floor, she realized that the smoke was becoming thicker the nearer she came to the exit. She tried to cover her mouth with her sleeve so that she wasn't fighting with it so badly. As she reached the secret exit, she pulled but found that the door had been locked. She froze. The smoke was becoming worse and she felt that she couldn't breathe. She needed to go back up but as she looked to the stairs, she heard an explosion and felt the building shake around her. She needed an exit.

Terrified, she tried to get out of the way of the smoke and then she saw the breaking of the glass on the small window before the door was pushed down and came crashing towards the wall. She tried to breathe but at this point she couldn't stand, there was too much smoke in her -

She saw a familiar person enter. This person was wearing a fire resistant hoody with the head drawn low and a mask on but she could see those emerald eyes that told her she was safe. "Put this on," he said as he looked to her, his eyes showed a mix of relief and fear and Kyoko immediately put the mask over her own face. "Okay, take my hand," he instructed.

Kyoko attempted to get up and onto her feet but it was hard, she struggled so much that Kuon picked her up, holding her close to him. He started to move towards the exit and Kyoko could see that people were still fleeing. She put a hand on her purse and the script that she still had. She should have let those things go. As she heard the walls rumble again, she clung harder to Kuon and then saw brick crumble in front of them. The fire had spread so wide and the foundation was crumbling.

"Yashiro," Kuon said behind the mask as they saw the final people making their way to the outside. Kuon rushed forwards as there was another sound of the building falling down. Kuon placed Kyoko into Yashiro's arms and Kyoko noticed that he was holding back a piece of metal larger than himself fall down on them. No. This was craziness. He should be the one holding her. Another barrier fell down between them and Kyoko's brain was scrambling to come up with the truth. It was moments later when she finally heard a loud explosion and the building seemed to completely disappear in the flame. The structure of the building fell down onto the ground, burying so much underneath it.

"Kuon!" Kyoko screamed wishing that he would take her out of Yashiro's arms. "Kuon!" she screamed again and looked around but it was hard to see and even harder to continue speaking as the black ash and smoke settled on the ground.

….

…..

It was fourteen hours later and Kyoko had found that Kuon had parked his car on the street a few blocks away and then had run the distance to the agency building and even though he had left his door unsecured and easy for someone to steal, nobody had. Kyoko had found that from walking around but she had quickly come back here. This was the position where she had kneeled hoping for a chance to start her acting career. This was the place where she had last seen her husband. She knew that there was only a percentage of a percentage of a chance of Kuon having survived but she wanted to cling onto that.

She watched as the people cleaning the wreckage moved another pile of bricks aside and on the other side, a machine was scooping up rubble. She looked around and felt her heart break before she ran over to them. They were moving to the area where Kuon had last been seen.

"Ma'am," one of the police officers tried to call to her and Kyoko froze as she heard the crunch of broken bones under her foot. She looked down and froze, her heart pounding in her chest as she saw that she had stepped on Kuon's corpse. She screamed as she fell to her knees. Parts of his body were hard to see through but you could and then other parts were an ashy black or even white and black where his bones had been burned.

Kyoko put a hand over her mouth to stop a sob as she stared at the remains of her husband. She looked up and saw that there was still something on his hand. His wedding ring. She reached for it but a police officer grabbed her shoulder.

"We need you to back away from the crime scene, ma'am," they said before staring at the body. Somehow almost a quarter of his face hadn't been damaged meaning easy identification. "Oh my god. We've got the corpse of Hizuri Kuon over here. We need to get this black bagged."

Kyoko struggled to breathe but she protectively put a hand on his skeleton. "Don't touch him," she whispered as she felt the deep loss inside of her. It wasn't as if Kuon was supposed to be here anyway. He had come to collect her from work. He had died saving her. She wanted them all to get away from him. He was the best thing to ever happen to her and she wasn't ready to say goodbye to him.

As her hand remained on his skeleton, she saw people coming towards him and then felt something strange, her hand was getting warmer and there was something firm underneath. She looked up to see some faces looking shocked and in disbelief and others who looked terrified. She turned back and saw something different under her hand and she flinched, pulling back for a moment but as she saw that blond hair and saw the green eyes blink and open, she couldn't hold back and she pulled him onto her lap and into her arms.

She stopped as she brushed some of the ash from his hair. Kuon was alive but he was no longer the Kuon Hizuri that she had married. In her arms was Corn the fairy prince just as she remembered him….when he was ten. He coughed and looked around before grabbing his ring before it fell off the tiny finger. He groaned before collapsing into Kyoko's chest.

"You're safe," he said in a sweet manner and Kyoko paused as she blinked at him but wrapped her arms around him protectively. Did he know what had happened? She saw people attempting to get closer and glared at them keeping them back. Had they all seen this transformation?

"Kuon," Kyoko asked gently, "Do you remember who I am?"

"Yeah," he coughed again before pushing a hand through his own hair, "I don't think I have a concussion but I don't understand how I'm alive. You're Kyoko, my wife. We've been married for two years. My name is Kuon Hizuri but a lot of the country still refers to me as Tsuruga Ren," he told her. He said all of this in the sweet voice and tone of a young boy. Kyoko pulled him even closer to her feeling more protective of him. She didn't know what was happening either but they weren't going to take him from her. She noticed that there were reporters even coming closer to them and she glared. She managed to find the strength to pick Kuon up in her arms and tried to move him so his naked body wasn't too badly exposed.

"Kyoko?" Kuon asked still feel exhausted, he blinked up at her not sure what was happening or why his perception made her feel so big. "Why can't I feel my legs?" he asked despite the fact that he was kicking them trying to reach the ground. Even though ten-year-old's weighed a lot, Kyoko managed to pick Kuon up in her arms and looked to him.

"There's a lot to talk about and I'm not sure I'm able to explain any of it but I love you, okay?" she asked before kissing his forehead and pressing her forehead against his. She moved him to her chest so that his tiny head could rest on her shoulder. He didn't understand any of this. She was holding him? This was the smoke affecting him, right because any other explanation didn't make any sense.

**End of Chapter One**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Author Note

So, I have the feeling that I have too many Skip Beat fics and fics in general but I always want to try writing new things. I also have a new calendar of fics to update so hopefully I'll be able to keep to that.

Along with other fics, I think I'm going to update this one more often depending on how many people want to see it


	2. Chapter 2 - Under the Hood

_Kyoko sighed as she sat down on the dirt and looked up at the sky where a bird had just flown overhead. She looked towards Corn and smiled as he watched the sky above them. "You like birds, don't you?" she asked and he laughed._

"_I love animals. They're cute, right?" he asked and Kyoko grinned._

"_I think Sho-kun would want a dog. I think that I'll get him a puppy when we're older. Then we'll be able to love the puppy until we have our own children. I think that I'll want a million children," Kyoko said excitedly and Kuon laughed again. He saw the same bird fly over again and circle in the air. _

"_This is nice too though, just for right now," Kyoko said as she let her head rest on his chest and Kuon gave a surprised inhale before allowing her to use his chest as her pillow. "It would be better if my prince Sho was here." Kuon sighed. Despite how Kyoko was infatuated with this Sho kid, she was adorable. It would be a shame to leave all of this nature in only a couple of days. _

**Chapter Two – Under the Hood **

_Kyoko took a step forward before hearing a crunching sound underneath her feet. She looked down and found that she was stepping on the wrist of a blackened skeleton. This was the place where Kuon died. A Kyoko moved nearer the body, she could see extensive burns on the face and then through a less burned area but still where the skin had bubbled was the gorgeous face of her deceased husband. He was nothing more than a medical project now. _

Kyoko took deep breaths as she brought the ten year old to the car. She went to the back to grab a blanket that Kuon had persuaded her to keep in there in case she got cold. She felt desperate as she didn't know when the crowd would emerge but she knew enough about the thirst of the media to know they weren't going to give up so easily.

"Kyoko?" Kuon asked as he looked to her but then tried to move over to the driver's seat. He felt more clumsy, perhaps because he was naked, but his body felt as if it had shrunk. Fires don't shrink people. He closed his eyes before remembering the agony of his flesh burning and shivered. He managed to sit down in the driver's seat but when his feet didn't touch the pedals he blinked hard. His body had shrunk.

"Listen," Kyoko said as she touched his shoulder and Kuon felt that her hand was a little bigger than he remembered. "You're not going to be driving tonight. Just let me take care of you," she paused before realizing that she had asked Kuon if they could exercise together. She had put on a few pounds that she needed to shed. "Do you have your hoody in here still?" she asked him and Kuon paused.

"Yeah, maybe," he said and Kyoko went to look in the back of the car. She sighed as she found it. She knew that people would track them down after what they had seen, there would probably be people at their house as well. She unzipped it before handing it to him.

"It'll be a little big on you but at least you won't be naked," she said and Kuon blinked hard. He was confused. He had worn this the other day and Kyoko would be crazy to imagine that he had lost so much weight so quickly. He took it before freezing. It really was too big on him and it felt heavy as well. He had to roll up the sleeves to be able to put his hands through and the clothing piece went nearly to his knees. As he looked at his body, he realized that his body parts were a lot smaller, he had lost weight, he was shorter than before. "You look really cute in it," Kyoko told him before pulling the seatbelt for him despite knowing he could do that part himself.

Kyoko quickly closed all the doors and got into the driver's seat of the car. She saw Kuon push the hood of the jacket down, one of the sleeves had rolled down and was covering his hand. He was so adorable and this was a lot better than that skeleton that would continually haunt her. She drove away, seeing people from the media following them. She couldn't explain it but she didn't want Kuon treated as a test subject.

"What's going on?" he asked with a tilt of his head and Kyoko bit her top lip. She concentrated on the traffic, they could figure more out at home.

"Promise me that you'll try to keep an open mind right now, okay? We can figure it out later." Kuon nodded slowly, why did Kyoko seem taller than he did? What was going on? Had he hit his head and he was only half awake? Kuon shivered as he remembered the pain of being buried by the bricks and Kyoko quickly pulled down the mirror, adjusting it so he could see himself. "You're ten."

Kuon stared at his reflection before his eyes widened. He really had taken on a smaller body. He paused as he lifted his hand and the kid lifted his hand. He tried to close his eyes and take deep breaths. "This isn't…" he heard the difference in his voice. He was at an age where his voice hadn't broken yet. He glanced at Kyoko in shock. She smiled back at him sympathetically. "Why am I like this?"

"I don't know," Kyoko said honestly, "but we'll figure it out together. You're still Kuon. You're still the man that I love, the man that I married."

Kuon laughed weakly, "Some man," he said as the sleeves rolled down covering his hands. His arms were a lot shorter too. "I'm a child. Can I even be legally marrie-"

"You're not a child," Kyoko interrupted him putting her faith into her own words. "You are Kuon Hizuri, a man who is in the body of a…a preteen."

Kuon raised an eyebrow, she was definitely stretching that age range. He looked out the window before bowing his head. "I remember the pain," he told her. "I remember dying." Kyoko looked to him as they paused at the traffic lights. He had felt that pain because he had saved her. He had lost his life to give her hers. Now he was back but in the body of a much younger Kuon. He was _still_ Kuon.

Kyoko looked to him sadly before biting her lip again, she turned the car away from the route of their house knowing that there would be reporters flocking there. There would probably be people hounding Yashiro and Lory too with a hundred different questions. No. She would go to another safe spot for her.

….

….

Pulling up at Daruma-ya, Kyoko turned to a very anxious Kuon and stepped out of the car before going to his. She opened it and crouched down so that they were at eye level. She put a hand on his cheek seeing how cold and pale he had become. She sighed before taking a slow breath in. "Kuon," she told him lovingly. Kuon bowed his head unsure how to respond to her, a million thoughts were racing around in his mind. "I still love you. Remember how I told you on our wedding that I love you unconditionally, I meant it then and I mean it now. We'll try to find a cure for this. I mean, other people saw you transform so maybe it wouldn't be difficult at all to persuade them that you're a man in a younger body."

Kuon took a shaky breath, "All I remember before this is loving you, being your husband. Look at me. I'm not capable of doing that right now."

Kyoko quickly moved so that she could kiss his forehead and Kuon stared at her.

"You are _still_ my husband, I'm not willing to give that up. Yes, we can't really be romantic until you're at least four years older but we can still hold hands, we can still kiss each other's cheeks, we can still embrace one another. We'll just have to be patient whilst we figure out how to cure you," Kyoko said and Kuon froze.

"You think that I might spend four years like this?" he asked before trying to work it out. That would mean a twenty-six-year-old having a sexual relationship with a fourteen-year-old. That definitely seemed like it would be frowned upon. "Don't you want someb-"

"Don't finish that sentence," Kyoko told him before unbuckling his seatbelt and lifting him out of the car. "Don't you dare to finish that sentence. Of course I don't want that."

Kuon sighed as he climbed out of the car and realized how much shorter he had become than Kyoko. He felt the cold and hard ground on his bare feet but reached out to take Kyoko's hand in his. He started to clutch it with both of his hands as he looked down feeling terrified that the age difference was so obvious.

Not knowing what else to do, Kyoko squatted so that she was at eye level with him. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked obviously worried about him. "Did you want me to try to carry you again?" she said. She could always give him a piggyback ride, she had done that with Shotaro and Ruriko and they had both been a lot bigger and heavier than the ten-year-old Kuon. Also, she wasn't married to either of them and her love for Kuon was so much deeper than for Shotaro. "You could ride on my back," she told him and he looked away.

"Should I even be here?" he asked sadly and Kyoko placed a hand on his cheek and turned his face towards her.

"Yes," she nodded. "Yes, you should be here. You should absolutely be here. You can trust me, right?"

"More than anyone," Kuon replied and Kyoko pulled him into an embrace. Was he ten? That's the way that he looked but thinking about it, he could possibly be nine or even eight. She felt her heart beat quicker. Her memories weren't perfect of when she had first met him, maybe this was a little bit off from what she remembered.

"I'll protect you this time," she told him and smiled as she felt Kuon hug her back. She couldn't even imagine how frightening this was for him. Kuon took a step back but still held onto her hand with one of his smaller ones.

"I'm okay. It's okay," he said before putting the hood up, it flopped over his face due to how large it was. "Let's just try going inside," he said and Kyoko kissed his forehead before walking with him. She didn't want to admit how this felt like babysitting because this was her husband in his childhood body. This was her _husband_ who had died and come back to life, a feat that nobody would even think _him_ capable of.

…

…

Kyoko put her hand on Kuon's shoulder as she knocked on the door. She held her breath. Okami-san had always told her that if she ever needed to come back here for any reason, she could come and knock on the back door. Hopefully this applied to Kuon too. Kyoko knocked on the door before seeing Taisho take a look out of it. He went to Kyoko after putting down a knife.

Without saying anything, Taisho pulled out two chairs and then looked to Kyoko, he put a hand on her shoulder and then embraced her. "I'll get you some food," he said and then walked off. Kuon looked away. He wasn't sure what they would be expecting from him. He was really happy that they had come to the wedding and seemed to accept him as Kyoko's husband but now he was at least two foot shorter than he had been the previous day.

Kyoko looked at Kuon wanting to say something that would help him feel that everything would be okay. She was about to reach for his hand when she heard Okami scurrying over to them.

"So it is true?" she gasped before turning to Kyoko. "Have you contacted his parents? Do you need to borrow a phone?" Okami-san crouched down in front of Kuon so she could see his face. "It's okay. We'll get your mother or father down here. You're safe, here, Kuon-kun. We're all friends of Kyoko's."

"Thanks for being so kind to me," Kuon said before lowering the hoody, "but only my body has changed unfortunately. I still feel like I was the same man as before. My memories are still the same as before." Kyoko nodded with a sad smile and Okami-san turned to Kyoko.

"Really, his father should know about this although by the television reports, he already does."

Kyoko blinked and went to the main part of the restaurant and stood in the back. It was all over the TV about Kuon turning into a child and what kind of problems this would cause and how they wanted to get medical testing done. She walked back into the kitchen. The incident with the people who _had_ died should be more important. Kuon becoming a kid was interesting but it wasn't the tragedy that should really have been reported on that day.

**End of Chapter Two**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter One

Kaname671, Leilasecrets,


	3. Chapter 3 - The Hizuri's Son

**Chapter Three – The Hizuri's Son**

Kyoko could hear the sound of people talking to one another, the sound getting louder and louder and she realized what must have happened. It was most likely Kuu who had used the front door of the restaurant despite Julie trying to persuade him to go in the back. His love for Kuon sometimes was too strong even for common sense.

Kyoko's guess was proved correct when Kuu and Julie appeared in the room. They both looked around and when they saw the ten-year-old Kuon they both showed shock on their faces before Julie ran over to pull him into a tight embrace and Kuu kept pushing a hand through his hair. They both had tears in their eyes.

"I'm okay. It's okay," Kuon attempted to persuade them but Julie still hugged him.

"He really is back to being a kid, isn't he?" Kuu asked as he turned to Kyoko who nodded. He stared at Julie who still could not stop crying and squeezing Kuon as close as possible. "Where is his mind? What does he remember?"

"I don't ca-" Julie started but Kuon interrupted them.

"I remember everything," he told them and Kuu nodded as he couldn't take his eyes off of the ten-year-old. He looked down sadly, "I remember the pain that I felt when I died but I don't feel that pain anymore." He said honestly and Julie let him go only for Kuu to hug him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I just need to hold you for a moment to prove that you're okay."

Kuon smiled weakly. He knew that his parents needed to confirm that he was alive especially since they probably had kept up with articles and videos about him even when they were flying across the ocean. Julie sobbed again before grabbing a bag beside her. Kuon tilted his head to the side as he saw that it had Narita airport on it.

"We can try to get more tomorrow but -" she opened the bag where there was touristy items such as twio 'I Love Japan' shirts and 'I Love Tokyo' jacket, there were also jeans that had the Japanese flag on them and shoes and socks and underwear, all for the size of a ten-year-old. "I'm sorry, there wasn't a lot to pick from and we wanted to get here as soon as we could."

Kuon stared at the items. He knew that the hoody he was wearing right now was far too big for him but it brought him comfort. Still, it wasn't right to keep wearing it when it was so huge. He looked at his mother before getting to his feet from the stool he had been sitting on. He felt so small compared to everyone else. "I guess that I'll get changed then, thanks," he said before looking to Kyoko and she nodded before taking his smaller hand and leading him to the private bathroom.

She knelt down next to him and pushed his hair back, this was most definitely Corn, not that she had doubted that fact for years. "I'll be right outside, okay?" she asked and he nodded with a sigh. She hugged him again before letting him go and get changed into the items Julie had brought him. She stood up and pushed her back against the wall. As she closed her eyes she started to hyperventilate. She could feel the hard object under her foot, the skeleton, and then she heard the crunch sound as she knew that she hadn't only _found_ Kuon's body, she had broken it as easily as if he were an animal. She felt the tears fill her eyes and then was snapped awake as she felt a tug on her hand.

"Are you okay?" Kuon asked her and Kyoko put a hand over her mouth. The clothes fit perfectly despite how they were obviously meant for children. She nodded. Kuon tilted his head to the side, his eyes showing that he didn't believe her.

"Wow," Kyoko laughed weakly. "You really do look adorable," she told him. "Your mother picked out the sizes very well," she said as she tried to refocus her mind on how different Kuon's body was. If she could get the measurements then she could find clothes for him too. "Do _you_ feel okay?"

"Not liking how I'm stuck at this age," Kuon told her, "but the clothes fit well."

"Kuon," Kyoko said slowly as she knelt opposite him again. "Please believe me when I say that I love you unconditionally but…I think you should go with your parents tonight. I think that might be safer for you," she said. She saw the panic and disappointment in his expression. "I'm going to ask Father but I doubt that he'd argue with it."

"I want to stay with you. I'm not really a kid on the inside, just on the outside." Kuon protested and Kyoko kissed his forehead, tears still in her eyes.

"Both Father and I would protect you with our own lives, Julie-san too, but I think that It would be best for you to stay with him. Please?" she asked as she took his hands in hers. "Please, I know I ask you for a lot but please do this for me."

Kuon nodded disappointedly and watched as Kyoko went over to Kuu who still looked devastated and turned to Taisho who had brought him some food. Kyoko looked to Julie and then to Kuu before dropping into a slight bow. "Father, may I make a request of you?" she asked. Kyoko shivered and Kuu set the food aside, thanking the chef greatly for it. "Can you take care of Kuon?" she asked as she looked across at the small boy.

"In your place?" Kuu asked as Julie looked at her in a mix of excitement and concern. "I mean, is that really what the two of you want?"

"It's what Kyoko has asked for," Kuon told his father and Kuu nodded. He put a sympathetic hand on Kyoko's shoulder.

"We will never keep him away from you. If you want to stay with us as well then we'll make the accommodations immediately. As far as Kuon is concerned though, we would _never_ turn our son away like that," Kuu said and Kuon sighed as he turned to Kyoko.

"Should that start tonight? I could sleep on the floor if you and Mo-"

"Nonsense," Julie interrupted Kuon. "Sleep on the floor? You are not going to sleep on the floor. You were burned alive and crushed by a falling building. You are not sleeping without a bed tonight." She turned to Kyoko. "Should we make a reservation for a suite?" she asked and Kyoko smiled, shaking her head.

"I'll be fine," she tried to reassure them and Kuu gave a weak smile.

"I'm going to go and change the hotel reservation," he said. As he passed by Kuon, he squeezed his shoulder and Kuon turned to Kyoko. He frowned a little before shaking his head. He didn't want to go with his parents, he wanted to go with Kyoko, his wife. He had spent so long loving her and now it just felt that she was giving up on them.

"I'll go wait with Dad, I guess," he shrugged and Kyoko nodded not able to say anything as she watched him walk out. Julie looked at her not sure what she should say.

"We'll take care of him," Julie tried to comfort her and Kyoko nodded. She bowed her head. She really did love Kuon but it would be better for him to be with the people he had been with when he was ten. She didn't want for people to judge them. People would be more willing to accept the situation if there was Kuu and Julie beside him and Kuu was like a Papa Bear protecting his cub.

KyKuKyKu

Kuon stared up at his father who he had been a few inches taller than just a couple of days ago. Now he was staring up at him and remembering how he had been as a kid. Kuu finished on the phone call before he put a hand on Kuon's head and Kuon frowned at him before sighing and rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry that this had to happen to you," Kuu told him and Kuon looked away bitterly. "Maybe there's a way of breaking the curse. What do you think?"

"You know that I was dead, right?" he asked and Kuu paled. Kuon regretted his words as Kuu fell completely silent, all color was gone from his face, all happiness from his expression. He saw his Dad falling apart inside. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he realized that his death was one of the things that Kuu feared the most. "Maybe this change won't be too bad."

"Yeah," Kuu said as he looked in front of him without even looking at Kuon.

KyKuKyKu

_Kuu stared ahead of him at the laptop he had with him whilst sitting in his first class seat. Julie had cried herself to sleep after Kyoko had told them about how Kuon had died in such a horrible way. Kuu didn't know if he would ever sleep again. He looked at the articles already written. A lot of them were highlighting Kuon's death as well as a singers and two members of the staff. Why did Kuon have to die? Of all the people who were there, Kuon passed away because he was saving Kyoko. _

_He looked to Julie not knowing how to comfort her. He wasn't even sure how he was still clear minded. All he felt was grief and the want to be near Kuon's body. He wanted to start plans to honor his kid. He should have taught Kuon to be more selfish and self-centered._

_He blinked as he saw that there was a new report and clicked on it. He looked at the video they had and his stomach churned. His blood ran cold at what he was seeing. Most of Kuon's body was either crushed or charred but there was a part of his face which had minimal burning. He still had a small part that looked like himself. He closed his eyes wanting to punch something, break something. He saw that Julie was still asleep. She wasn't ready to see this. HE wasn't ready to see this._

_He felt his heart breaking as he saw Kyoko falling apart and then his eyes widened as he saw Kuon's body start to shine and sparkle. That shouldn't be happening. What was happening? Kuu's eyes widened and he felt that his brain had broken as he saw Kuon come back to life but as a kid. What? What just happened? Kuu heard a couple other people in the first class cabin gasp as well. _

_What did this mean? Kuu squeezed Julie's hand and she blinked her sore eyes. She looked at the screen and Kuu managed to move it back to the point of the video where the transformation was taking place and not before hand. Julie leaned forwards as she stared at the screen._

"_Did somebody make this?" she asked before seeing Kyoko's reaction and the way Kuon looked and move and spoke. It didn't seem like it was computer-created. It looked real. How could this be real?_

**End of Chapter Three**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Two

H-Nala


	4. Chapter 4 - That Crunchy Sound

**Chapter Four – The Crunchy Sound**

It seemed a truly impossible task to get Kuon into the hotel without random people wanting to interrogate him or whispering about him in front of him but they had managed to get a suite in one of Tokyo's top hotels. Kuu sighed as he got to the lounge area and looked at the bag he had just stuffed some clothes in. He had wanted to be in Japan as quickly as possible and so hadn't even folded his clothes, he had just shoved them into the case.

He looked over at Kuon who was sitting by the window. Kuu could tell by the slump of his shoulders that he wasn't dealing well with the depression, he didn't blame him. Kuu walked over to Kuon and the ten-year-old's eyes widened.

"Sorry," he apologized as he got off of the window ledge. Kuu blinked at him in surprise. "I guess life is going to be very different from now on," he said before Kuu looked at him in shock as he attempted to punch the wall but whereas the adult Kuon might have left a hole which would maybe have blacklisted them from the hotel, the younger Kuon just pulled back, his hand hurting. He cringed which caused Kuu to approach him.

"Can I see your hand?" he asked and Kuon put it behind him in an attempt to hide it. Kuu held his hand out and eventually Kuon showed him the now red hand. Kuu nodded and went to grab a wet facial towel. He wrapped it around Kuon's hand, being very careful as he knelt in front of his son. "There, that should take away some of the pain."

"I know what takes away the pain, Dad," Kuon protested and Kuu had to admit that he was adorable saying this as a kid. Still, in Kuon's mind, he was a man in his late twenties. To act as if he were only a child would be disrespectful to him.

"I know you do," Kuu nodded. He closed his eyes before standing up. "Do you want to watch TV?" he asked and Kuon shook his head. "Do you want anything to eat?" he offered, "I can go and get you something."

"Because if I go into a store myself, they won't serve a little kid?" Kuon challenged him and Kuu couldn't resist but reach out and place a supportive hand on Kuon's tiny shoulder, he spread it out missing the times when Kuon would idolize him and treat him like his hero.

"No. I fully trust you to be able to act like an adult but everyone is talking about you right now, there were very disturbing images broadcasted and photographed of your cor-rpse," Kuu's voice broke on that word. "And then, you have to admit that how you are now is unexpected and not easy to believe. Look, we can maybe go out tomorrow but I want to be with you."

"You want to hold my hand?" Kuon asked with a pout, his arms crossed over his chest. Kuu opened his mouth as if to protest but then thought about the precious memories he had of when Kuon _was_ this age and younger and he felt happy to be his father and holding his hand and telling him stories about things he didn't know about. Kuu loved being the person who Kuon wanted to be most like. Those were treasured memories of the son he didn't give all the love he deserved. "It's not as if I'm going to get snatched up, like I can't defend myself."

"I know," Kuu said. "And really, I was a terrible father to leave you to take care of yourself so much of the time when we went to Kyoto. I know that I didn't match the expectations of what a good parent was and I did it unknowingly but I still hold to those precious moments, they are sometimes what bring me the most motivation and hope. I can't deny how much I love you, how much I've always loved you despite not being the best at showing it."

"I love you too, Dad" Kuon said as he looked away before nodding. "Okay. We can go shopping tomorrow." He sighed before dropping his head. "This sucks. I know that I'm _not_ dead but it feels like I don't have anywhere to go. It feels like I'm losing my home, that I might lose everyone I…"

"Sorry about this," Kuu said before kneeling up in front of his son and pulling him into a tight embrace. Kuon had his arms at his side to start with but very slowly, he began to put his arms around his Dad as much as he could. "Don't talk as if you'll be alone. You will never be alone. You will always have somewhere you can stay, we will _never_ turn our backs on you and I don't think that Kyoko has either. You're probably safer here than you would be with her. If people start to see you _as_ a kid and despite your mental age, there are people who will, it will be easier if you're with your parents."

"What if I _do_ lose my memories?" Kuon asked and Kuu ruffled his hair.

"I really hope that doesn't happen to you," he told him and Kuon sighed, "but if it does happen then we're here for you. I'm sure that Kyoko would want to be part of your life in some way but you always have your mother and I."

Kuon sighed before hugging Kuu again, "Thanks Dad," he said and Kuu pulled Kuon into his chest.

"Of course, son," he said. Kuu closed his eyes but was only greeted by the images of Kuon's dead body being caught on camera and the crunch of the bone. He opened his eyes to see the younger Kuon still in his arms and took a deep breath in before exhaling. This was much better than him being gone no matter how he might feel about it.

KyKuKyKu

Kyoko woke up hyperventilating with sweat covering her entire body and soaking the bedsheets beneath her. She looked around and then to the empty spot where Kuon had been two night previously. They had had such a happy life and happy marriage and then she had nearly died only for Kuon to risk his life to save her. Kyoko closed her eyes and saw flashes of the nightmare she had relived whilst sleeping. She heard the crunch beneath her foot and the skeleton of the man who had saved her in more ways than one. She wanted her husband.

Taking a few short breaths in, Kyoko turned her mind into slowing her breaths and calming down. She wouldn't be able to relax but she might be able to think a little more clearly. She turned the lights on but was only hit harder as she saw Kuon's books, his computer, his clothes. She opened the closet and then an expensive garment bag to see the suit that he had worn at their wedding. He had always kept it in pristine condition because of the huge sentimental connection. Even the tie on the outfit hung as it had when he had been at the altar.

Kyoko wrapped an arm around herself before hearing the clock tick on the wall and even that reminded her of how she had stepped on her husband's corpse. She had _stepped _on him. If he hadn't been dead then she would have hurt him. She felt as if she had hurt him even though he wouldn't have been able to feel it.

"Kuon," she whispered painfully as she started to question whether she had lost her mind the previous evening and whether Kuon was still there even if his body was completely different. She looked to the clock, it was the middle of the night and it would be incredibly rude of her to wake up Kuu and Julie but she felt as if she couldn't breathe.

_You can tell me anything, princess. I will never turn you away no matter what you have to say._

She could remember those words from one previous night in which she had had a bad dream about her mother and he had held her hands and helped her relax enough so she could go back to sleep. Maybe hearing any version of his voice now was what she needed. She just needed to know that he was alive. With a deep breath in, Kyoko picked up her phone to call Kuu. She just wanted to hear Kuon's voice.

KyKuKyKu

Kuon found himself woken from his sleep by a knock on the door. He yawned and pushed himself up, making a slight moan. The bed was huge for him. If he was his true age then maybe the bed would be a little short for his long body but it just seemed massive. A ten-year-old in a king sized bed felt a little strange. Despite growing up in luxury, he had slept in a full-sized bed most of his childhood. He had only gone to a queen sized when he was thirteen. He blinked at the doorway before hearing a familiar voice.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to wake you," he heard his wife say and Kuon reached for the light. He blinked as the brightness hurt his eyes for a moment but he could see Kyoko there wearing one of his sweaters, her body was pale like a ghost's and her eyes were red and sore and puffy.

"No, it's okay," he said as he sat up straighter despite knowing how young he must look to her. He definitely appeared as a child. "You're here?" he asked with a yawn before lifting up the blanket. "Kyoko?" he asked but she took a step forward.

"Please don't get out of bed. I don't want to have ruined your sleep," she said and Kuon stayed still.

"Are you okay?" he asked, it was a stupid question since obviously she wasn't. Kyoko moved towards him and sat down next to him. Kuon sighed as he found himself still looking up at her. Kyoko definitely wasn't the tallest woman but she was still significantly taller than a ten-year-old child.

"I had some bad dreams," she told him and he nodded. "I remembered how you used to wrap me up in your arms and hold me until I fell asleep. I remembered how I always found the sound of your heartbeat soothing when I had my head against your chest."

Kuon opened his mouth to argue but looked guiltily at her. "I can't comfort you like that anymore," he asked as he stretched his arms out as if the size of his body wasn't obvious to her. "I'm really sorry. You can't understand how much I want to comfort you in that way, how much I wish that this body was a nightmare but…"

"It doesn't matter," Kyoko sniffed. "I just can't sleep without you there. I woke up and though I tried to tell myself it was okay, that you were safe here, part of me was scared that you weren't and that it was all a dream and you were gone forever."

Kuon blinked at her. "I'm sorry," he apologized and she pushed his hair back before moving him onto her lap without his permission, he sighed as he left his head rest on her shoulder. Kyoko wrapped her arms around him as she listened to him. Unlike most girls, the weight of his body didn't bother her. She felt tears in her eyes before they trickled down her cheeks. "I'm really sorry. If I could change this -"

"Can I sleep with you?" she asked and Kuon looked at her not knowing how to protest this. Yes, he wanted to stay beside her but if people saw him as such a minor then Kyoko would not only ruin her career but she might be put into prison. He couldn't allow her to have underage se- "Just share the bed. If you don't want to touch me then I understand but I just want to wake up in the morning and see you."

Kuon nodded and lifted the blanket for Kyoko to get into the bed. He sighed before grabbing her hand and kissing it before letting his head rest on her chest above the blankets. "Is this okay?" he asked and Kyoko kissed the top of his head.

"Perfect," she said as she wrapped her arms around him as if he were a pillow or stuffed toy. He sighed before letting his head remain on her chest. He loved her but he would have to settle for this level of intimacy for right now.

**End of Chapter Four**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Three

Kaname671


	5. Chapter 5 - Ten v Twenty-Six

**Chapter Five – Ten Vs Twenty Six**

Kuon could already feel people staring at him as he stood in the shop. He could hear people whispering about him, some people calling him a freak, a monster, an abomination. He could also feel his mother's hand on his shoulder and hear his father's anger as someone dared to say something. Kuu looked around at a person who was calling Kuon a freak. Yes, nobody knew what had happened but Kuon hadn't _chosen_ for this.

"Dad," Kuon said as he looked at a frustrated Kuu. "We don't need to be here. I'm sure that Mom will –"

"I don't like this," Kuu muttered. "They should at least be respectful, keep their opinions to themselves." He looked to the sales associates who were nervously looking at them. He then put a hand on Kuon's back. "I'm going to go talk to them."

"It's okay." Kuon tried to protest as he looked over at them. He bowed his head as he saw his father talking to them and he turned to his mother. "We should go, right?"

"Do you _want _to go?" Julie asked him. She knelt down next to him which made Kuon feel a little guilty about being so small. "Maybe people will be more understanding if you go to a doctor. Also, you happen to be one of the only people that the kidnapper wants to see today. He's really worried about you. I think he feels guilty about what his building did to you."

"It was an accident," Kuon protested. "I would do it again. I wanted to save my wi-" He fell silent and bowed his head. It was nice to be with Kyoko again but he didn't know if he could call her his wife. He stared at his mother before seeing Kuu return with one of the sales associates.

The girl turned to him with a big smile, "Hi, there," she said, treating him as if he were a kid of his age. "Thank you for coming to this store to shop. Your name is Kuon, right, sweetheart?" she asked. Kuon looked between his parents before sighing and nodded.

"Yes, I thought the clothes here were really cool. Is everyone whispering 'cause of my hair? Daddy has the same color hair as me," he said and Kuu and Julie shared a look with one another before watching Kuon to see what he would do.

"I think they are impressed by your Daddy's fame. He's an actor, right? My manager will be able to direct attention away from you. What clothes were you looking at?" she asked happily.

"The jackets," Kuon said adopting the innocent ten-year-old character.

"Okay, let's get you a jacket," the girl said happily.

As she tried to walk away, Kuu put a hand on Kuon's shoulder. "You don't need to do this," he said and Kuon shrugged looking a little regretful about what he had done but it might make people stare at him less. If everyone thought that he had the mind of a kid the age which he looked, they would feel more guilty about their comments.

KHKHKH

Kuon looked at the clothes they had managed to purchase and he pushed his back to the wall. He closed his eyes feeling exhausted, it was a lot of change physically to become this small boy again but more than that, emotionally he wasn't ready to just step down to the kiddy venue. He looked over at his mother who was putting some groceries into the fridge and grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around him as he sat on his butt and closed his eyes. "Kill me," he whispered before hearing Kuu stop and Julie start crying.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry," Kuon said as he jumped up to his feet and his mother tried hard to calm down. Kuu was staring at the clothes before sighing and nodding unsteadily. "I'll try to be more thoughtful," he told them. "I really appreciate you guy's f—" As Kuon stood, he felt a little woozy and felt sick, he tried to stay still despite how ill he felt and grabbed to his upper arm as if to steady himself.

"Kuon," Kuu said quickly as he put the clothes down and went to kneel in front of Kuon. "What is it? How are you feeling? Are you in pain?"

Kuon looked at him before closing his eyes and all he could see was the sunlight through the trees in Kyoto. No, this was a memory that he often had. He could feel the warm breeze, the sun, and the feeling of his chest rising and falling and…he felt stuck. Kuon paused before opening his eyes and stared at his father. "**Dad?"** Kuon asked in English and Kuu sighed, **"where are we? Do we go home soon?"**

Kuu stared at Julie before pushing Kuon's hair back, he felt his temperature, it was relatively normal but Kuon was just letting him do this to him. Kuu sat back with a weak smile. "**Kuon,**" he said, turning to using English instead, **"Are you feeling okay? What's our last name? How old are you?"**

"**Did I hit my head or something?" **Kuon asked as he tried to feel his own forehead, he looked at his father. His dad looked a lot more tired and older for some reason. No. His dad was looking really old. "**I don't know. I mean. Hizuri but…but this isn't a movie. I don't. Who the hell are you!? You look like my dad but…but my dad is still in his thirties and you…I'm so sorry," **Kuon panicked and Kuu sighed, he took a couple of steps away from Kuon but saw the young boy looking absolutely terrified.

Julie took a step over to the two of them, "**Kuon, sweetheart. Do you remember when we were cooking together and you accidentally left this scar on my hand," **Julie turned her hand to where she had a permanent burn mark, it was a white line that could only be seen in certain lights but it had a specific pattern. Kuon looked at it. He nodded slowly before pushing himself against the back wall of the room.

"**Mom?" **he asked weakly and Julie nodded. "**Why do you and Dad look so old?" **he asked. He heard Kuu's laughing and flinched. He bowed his head and wrapped his arms around himself. "**I'm sorry**." He told them. "**What happened? I can take it. Just…was I in a coma? Am I even alive? Did you put my brain into a robot?" **

"**You are most definitely not a robot,**" Kuu tried to reassure him. He went to the computer not knowing if Kuon was ready to see it but it might make it easier for him. "**You died." **Kuu said and Kuon put a hand to his throat where he felt his pulse and his breathing. Julie saw him panicking and bowed her head. She had hoped to do this without showing Kuon the video. "**You **_**were**_** dead. Before you died you were actually twenty-six. You are…were…are the top actor in Japan. You acted a lot internationally but you decided to stay in Japan because you got married. You died trying to protect your wife but for some reason, you came back to life the way you are now."**

Kuon's eyes widened even more as he looked to his mother and father. They both seemed to be telling him the truth and he did recognize that scar but maybe they were just heavily invested in the rouse. He saw his father bringing back the laptop.

"**I really didn't want to scare you,**" he said before showing Kuon a few award ceremony videos, some fan made compilations of his best acting work, a timeline of when he got his roles, this was before Kuu got to the video where it showed Kuon coming back to life. Kuon's eyes rested on the woman who was with him. She had pulled him to her so protectively. He could almost imagine her hand, he looked at his hand and then imagined a ring on there. He coughed a little, was he going to die?

Kuu reached out to pat Kuon's back and gently massage him whilst Julie rushed to get some water for him.

Kuon looked up and blinked, switching back to Japanese. He looked to where he had been a moment ago but then stared at the video where it had accidentally gone back to his corpse. "Crap," he said in Japanese, feeling as if he were going to throw up. "I don't want to see. If that's what Kyoko had to live through, no wonder she's having nightmares," he said before seeing Kuu and Julie staring at him with wide eyes. "I'm sorry. Did I do –"

"How old are you?" Kuu asked and Kuon sighed.

"Dad, I'm a twenty-six-year-old in the body of a ten-year-old. I don't know what that means when it comes to how old I'm supposed to be." He saw his parents look between themselves and he stared at them in a questioning manner.

"You weren't that way just a moment ago. Just a moment ago, you were a ten year old." Kuu told him and Kuon paled. That was something which he had feared would happen. The physical state of being ten was one thing but knowing that he might have lost sixteen years of his life. That he would never remember Ren Tsuruga, or Rick, or even Kyoko. He bowed his head and stared blankly at the sheets.

"Oh," was all that he could think of to say. He stood up and went over to the bed in his part of the suite. "I'm going to try to calm down a little. Thanks for taking me shopping today I…uh…I really appreciate it," he said as he thought about all that he might lose if his brain started to drift to the way his body had. He smiled at them again before closing his eyes. He felt a few tears come out and realized that as a child he had toughened up so much to block those things out but now he had more painful things to deal with…well…some of them weren't nearly as painful as he'd struggled with as a teenager.

As Kuon left, Kuu sighed. He didn't know what was going on. All he really knew was that his son had died and he would do anything he could to protect him. Whether that meant parenting a ten year old again or being there to help his son during his twenties, all he knew was that Kuon was more important than any other acting project or action in his career. That's the way it should have been as Kuon was growing up.

Kuon should have always been his top priority.

**End of Chapter Five**

**Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Four

H-Nala, Kaname671


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